A fantastic first week
What an improvement from last year. I’m feeling confident that things are off to a great start. I set procedures and expectations to a level that will make the entire year better than last year. I’m being very firm and consistent. It’s paying off. My students are quiet and eager to please. They follow my procedures carefully. I hardly recognize my classroom this year compared to last year.
Every time I start to think I should let up and allow a little noise to pass unchecked or one broken rule to go unnoticed I think about last year. I think about the worst days when the principal walked in and winced at the noise level or the days when I cried after the students left. Those memories strengthen my resolve and I stay consistent. Consistency was a huge challenge for me last year and this year I am determined to fix that.
It is very hard for me to be consistent
My urge is to give extra chances and reminders. But clearly that urge didn’t work well last year. So this year I keep reminding myself that my consequences aren’t bad. They will not damage the students. All they will do is reinforce my expectations and make the year easier and more productive for everyone.
The surprising thing is that because I am so fast and consistent this year with giving my first consequence, which is a warning, I have not had to give another reminder. So far no students earned the second consequence, a ten minute time out.
Once I write that tiny “W” for warning on their behavior slip they stop the behavior. And the other students take note too and become even more focused themselves. I know the students will start testing the limits more next week. But this week they simply didn’t act out. Why wasn’t it this easy last year?
Procedures are making it all work
Compared to last year, I established very structured procedures to start this year. Harry Wong says that rules are made to be broken but procedures are just how something is done. My students are proving that to me this year.
Last year I had lax procedures. I figured that as long as everybody was reasonable we would be okay. It didn’t work out like I thought and the class was off task more than I was comfortable with.
They were also too noisy. Not that I’m opposed to noisy work just because of the noise. I’ve observed successful classes that are louder than my class ever was. But my classroom has an internal connecting door and limited sound proofing with another classroom and so when my class is noisy it unfairly impacts the students in the other class. I don’t want to do that. So staying quieter is one of my goals this year.
To help keep things quiet I thought through all my procedures well in advance of the first day and focused heavily on improving and streamlining transitions.
I have clear procedures for how we get our homework, how we enter the room, how we move to the rug, etc.
I taught the procedures to the class with clear instruction and modeling. We’ve been practicing all week. I’m praising them to the point of gushing and taking pictures of when it’s done the right way. Students love the positive reinforcement of having their picture taken while they are doing something correct.
I will review everything like it’s the first day of school on Monday for extra reinforcement. In a few weeks, hopefully, we will have it down without thinking about it at all.
This class behaved better in the first week than I think last year’s class ever did. I’m sure some of it is the new mix of students but I also know that my focus on procedures and being consistent with my rules is a major factor.
It is hard and long (but good) work
Each day this week was at least a 14 hour work day. Pretty excessive, I admit. But it’s worth it. I refused to leave until I completely set up the classroom for the next day. If I’m fully prepared the students are never waiting for me to be ready, like they did too often last year, so they don’t get distracted and lose focus on academics. I think (hope) the time commitment will relax as I get into more of a routine for my new processes.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
I need to be better about my warnings. I allow my kids 2 warnings before their “color change,” and for that reason I shouldn’t give reminders and then warnings. I need to use my warnings as the reminders. Tomorrow I’ll be better, I promise.
Thanks for commenting, Rebecca!
It’s hard to do. As teachers, we want to teach our students how to behave so we give too many reminders. It took me a long time last year to realize that I just had to give my consequence the first time the behavior happened. Good luck tomorrow!
Lauren everything you have shared has been awesome. Thank you.
I have only began to sub and I am trying to find my classroom management style. I am playing around with a G.R.E.A.T. idea. I start off the day with a cheer of “We are going to have a G. R. E. A. T. day!” I explain that everytime they talk too much/ too loud, don’t have their homework, ect… they lose a letter starting with the T. If they lose the EAT then they have a slient lunch. That means they only have a GRrrrr left. If they lose the R they walk laps for half of recess and The whole recess if all they’re letters are gone. I also give out “!” if they are on task and well behaved. These “!” can be collected to earn rewards. So far I have only used it for the class as a whole since I am usually in a class for only one day.
This is an idea still in progress. If you have any suggestion I would love to hear them.
That sounds like a great strategy for a sub behavior plan. It’s easy to implement and different enough that you don’t have to try to duplicate the system the teacher uses in each room you work in. I like the touch of walking laps, too… physical activity!
I’m know you probably already do this, but make sure you don’t punish an entire class if there’s really only one student who is causing problems.
I really liked your ideas on classroom management. Especially the GREAT! In my classroom I use marbles in the jar (it’s an old strategy), but it works. Everytime a student is caught doing something good a marble is placed in the jar, or if the class as a whole walks down the hall to specials quietly 5 marbles are put into the jar. When the jar is full the class receive a treat. (extra recess, popcicle, or snack cake). It is very affective because they can see and hear their progress as the day or week goes along. I have also taken marbles outof the jar for poor classroom behavior.
14 hours!!!!
That’s arriving at 6:30 in the morning and leaving for home at 8:30 pm?!?
Doesn’t sound very healthy.
Do your students respond appropriately to the extra hours of prep you put in?
Where is the time for your own family? Departments of education are in need of a reality check that says, “Teachers are not the saviors of the world.” Stop putting us in positions where we are putting in 14 hour days. That’s nonsense!
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